Wallcreeper and The Camargue Naturetrek Tour Report 19 – 23 November 2018 Firecrest Western Swamphen Stripeless Tree Frog Spoonbill Report compiled by Matt Collis Images courtesy of Neil McMahon Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Wallcreepers and The Camargue Tour participants: Matt Collis & Neil McMahon (leaders) with 16 Naturetrek clients Summary A short birding trip to the very special Camargue district of southern France provides an excellent opportunity to experience good views of typical waterbirds of the west Mediterranean. Utilising a family-run hotel on the outskirts of the ancient city of Arles as our base, the itinerary provided an easy opportunity to look for flamingoes, herons and wading birds using the shallow waters and reed-fringed lagoons as a breeding area or a suitable stop-over for migrants. The mountainous areas attract different and more localized species and we located special birds such as Wallcreeper, Rock Sparrow and Booted Eagle, together with a selection of other stunning species that call the Camargue home. Day 1 Monday 19th November Arriving in the early evening, leaders Neil and Matt met 15 of the 16 clients at Marseille airport, before collecting the minibuses and beginning the journey to the hotel. French protests and road blocks meant the route was more cross country but after just over an hour or so we arrived at our destination, Hotel des Granges. We were greeted by Bruno and Marie-Jo, our wonderful hosts and owners of this classically French Hotel, and a lone Black Redstart, the first bird for our trip, sat roosting over the entrance porch. Our hosts provided us with a very late dinner before showing everyone to their rooms. Once everyone was checked in and baggage delivered to their door, it was time for bed to ensure we were all well rested for the days ahead. Day 2 Tuesday 20th November Following yesterday’s travel day, breakfast was at a leisurely 8am which was followed by a short briefing and introduction by the leaders where the tour itinerary was explained. With all questions answered and a rough itinerary set, we made our way to the vans and set off for our first stop at Marais du Vigueirat. Once again we were forced to take a more scenic route than usual as strikes continued but this gave us a chance to connect with a few additional birds early on including a nice group of Corn Bunting sitting on powerlines and big flocks of Cattle Egret in the sheep fields. Arriving mid-morning, we made our way into the reserve via the long entrance track and spotted a couple of Stonechat, White Wagtail and a Robin in the adjacent field. At the end of the track we got our first view of the Camargue Horses with their beautifully iconic white colouration and excitable nature. We stayed to enjoy the view before heading into the visitor centre and out onto the marshland reserve. With the weather a bit showery, small passerines were limited but the first lagoon had many birds including ducks such as Mallard, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal and a lone Red-crested Pochard. Others birds seen included Mute Swan, Grey Heron and our first Great Egret which was catching fish. As we walked around the reserve we stopped to look out from the many hides and viewing points dotted around the long circular route where we spotted several great birds; two Western Swamphens proved elusive for a while before stepping clear out into the open and a White Stork which stood preening amongst a long line of Great Cormorants on the bank. As we ventured through several of the more wooded areas we managed to find several woodpecker species including Great Spotted, Green and Lesser Spotted. As the weather improved, so did the © Naturetrek December 18 1 Wallcreepers and The Camargue Tour Report number of passerines with both Common Chiffchaff and Firecrest in good numbers but the later proving difficult to see. Several species were flying in and around the site including Water and Meadow Pipit, Grey and White Wagtail, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer and a single Serin. Few waders were present with only a group of four Green Sandpipers in flight and a lone Snipe noted. After several hours on the reserve, we took advantage of the dry weather and large picnic area in order to have our first French inspired picnic lunch which included a number of local cheeses and home baked bread. With stomachs full and the weather still holding we loaded into the minibuses ready to set off, but not before a flock of one hundred Greater Flamingos flew right overhead giving some great views of their spectacular pink wing plumage. We headed south down the River Rhone before catching the small ferry across to Salin-de-Giraud and onto the salt pans. With only the last hour or so of daylight, we scanned the many pools as we made our way down to Grau de Piemanson, stopping on the side of the road in several places. Large flocks of Greater Flamingo were dotted across the area as were large groups of gulls including Yellow-legged, Black-headed, Mediterranean and 17 Slender-billed Gulls in a mixed flock. Waders were also more numerous with several flocks of Dunlin and a number of Little Stint and Ringed Plover. Pied Avocets were also present in high numbers forming flocks of almost 300 strong standing close to the road giving everyone brilliant views. As we approached the end of the road and the beach, we managed to add a few more birds to our list including Great Crested and Black-necked Grebe, and a lone Common Sandpiper which landed on the shore next to the minibus. With the final minutes of daylight and a very strong wind blowing, we ventured onto the beach for a very brief sea watch; several small flocks of Mediterranean Gulls, a juvenile Gannet and a large flock of Sandwich Tern all battled their way into the wind close to the shore before going out of view - a nice end to our birding day. We travelled back to the hotel in the dark and despite getting briefly caught up in the protests at a roundabout just outside of Arles, we managed to find a route back into the countryside and around to the hotel. Another wonderful three course dinner provided by our hosts was a welcome meal in our bellies as was the wine and other drinks. Once the meal was finished, we completed the checklist for the day and said our goodnights, including to the Black Redstart who was already fast asleep in the hotel porch. Day 3 Wednesday 21st November It was an earlier breakfast time of 7am, allowing for an earlier departure with everyone in the bus by 8am. We headed off towards the Camargue, this time visiting the large wetland area of Mas d’Agon on the northern edge of the reserve. A few of the common species were spotted en route including corvids and gulls but a new addition to the trip list was a lovely Hen Harrier which flew low across a field adjacent to the road before being lost behind a hedge. As we approached Mas d’Agon our attention was draw to a group of six large birds flying over the road ahead: Common Cranes! Landing in some fields 200m away or so, they were in an area where 500 or so birds had gathered feeding in the flooded grasslands. We observed from the side of the road for a while, watching groups both flying in and out of the wider flock, calling the entire time. A memorable first stop. 2 © Naturetrek December 18 Wallcreepers and The Camargue Tour Report We then headed south through Mas d’Agon stopping on the road between two large wetland pools. We left the vehicles, opting to explore on foot, and walked down from one end to the other in the hope of picking up more birds. Our luck was in and we got some fantastic views of some notoriously difficult birds to see including a small group of Bearded Tit which came right to the edge of the reedbed, and a male and female Penduline Tit, far less confiding, as they headed through a sparse section of reeds. Reed Buntings and Stonechats were notably common here giving everyone the chance to connect and compare to other similar looking birds. We also had a number of good flyover views of Marsh Harrier, Snipe and a flock of ten Glossy Ibis. We returned to the vans and made our way to another small reserve called La Capelliere on the eastern side of the Etang des Vaccares. Driving around the edge of this large Etang, we spotted several more Marsh Harriers and to our delight two Black Storks in a neighbouring field. Further on we had better views of the open water of the Etang where we could see a large raft of Coots with several other species mixed in including two Red- breasted Merganser, two Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and several Black-necked Grebe. Four Slender- billed gulls also flew along the shore as we observed the raft as did a Common Kingfisher, although all too brief. Once at the reserve we took advantage of the facilities where a Tree Frog was spotted, the first of several we then subsequently saw as we walked the main loop around the site. Due to extensive hunting adjacent to the site, water bird numbers were low on the various pools but we did see a few species in Teal, Mute Swan and a Kingfisher which sat perfectly on a post for everyone to enjoy.